This invention relates to a surgical cutting tool.
When using such a tool, for example surgical scissors, or a surgical scalpel, the surgeon normally needs to have at least one assistant who can carry out suctioning at the site where the surgical tool is being used, so as to remove blood and other body fluids which are released by the use of the tool and which would otherwise obscure the surgeon""s field of view. Such an assistant may also carry out ancillary tasks, for example cauterization.
However, the need to involve an assistant has a number of disadvantages. One of these is that the carrying out of activities by the assistant at the same site as that where the surgeon is working may impede the surgeon""s activities, and thus render them more difficult, or at least make the operation more lengthy. Furthermore, if it were not necessary for the assistant to carry out suctioning and cauterization, the assistant might be more usefully employed in other tasks to assist the surgeon, and under some circumstances no assistant might be required at all.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a pair of surgical scissors comprising first and second blades each having a cutting surface and an exterior surface, the cutting surfaces facing one another, the blades being pivotally connected to one another for relative pivotal movement about a pivotal axis, one of the blades having a blade portion located distally of the pivot axis and electrically insulated from the remainder of the blade, a first electrical conductor electrically connected to the said blade portion, and a second electrical conductor electrically connected elsewhere on the scissors, thereby enabling the scissors to act as a cautery.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a surgical tool in the form of a combined forceps/scalpel unit, which comprises first and second forceps arms movable towards one another, each arm having interior surfaces facing towards one another and exterior surfaces facing away from one another, a mounting for enabling a scalpel blade to be mounted on the exterior surface of one of the arms, and suction means for enabling suction to be applied to the site of operation of the tool.
According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a surgical tool in the form of a combined forceps/scalpel unit, which comprises first and second forceps arms movable towards one another, each arm having interior surfaces facing towards one another and exterior surfaces facing away from one another, a mounting for enabling a scalpel blade to be mounted on the exterior surface of one of the arms, and electrical connections to both forceps arms to enable the tool to act as a bipolar cautery.
The surgical cutting tool according to the invention may be provided with means for clamping tissue on which the surgeon is operating.
Other aspects of the invention will appear from the following description and claims.